DERRY MATHEWS hopes to end one of the most memorable years in his career with a win to help set up what could be his last 12 months in the sport.

The 29-year-old is back in the ring tomorrow night in Manchester when he takes on Bulgarian number one Asan Yuseinov over eight rounds at Bowlers’ Exhibition Centre.

Mathews is fighting for the first time since suffering horrible cuts in October’s Prizefighter tournament but now fully healed, he plans on wrapping up 2012 with a win before launching a bid to regain the British lightweight title he lost in July.

Defeat to Gavin Rees that night in Sheffield also saw Mathews miss out on the European title but he reflects on the fight as part of an unforgettable year in boxing.

Having lost out in a thriller with Emiliano Marsili for the IBO ‘world’ title in January, Mathews defied expectation to rip the British belt from hot-favourite Anthony Crolla in April before moving onto a meeting with Rees.

Following the loss to Rees, Mathews returned to action in the autumn to reach the semi-final of Prizefighter and now rounds off the year with a clash with Yuseinov.

But it is the prospect of getting his hands back on the Lonsdale Belt which is now driving Mathews.

“It has been one of the best years of my career,” Mathews said.

“I won the British title and fought for European and IBO titles.

“For myself and the fans it has been the most exciting year of my career.

“But now we are coming towards what could be a massive 2013 and maybe at the end of next year I will have won the Lonsdale Belt outright, got a few quid in the bank and then it will be time to walk away from it all.

“The sacrifices I am going to have to make in the next 12 months are going to be massive. I will spend most of my time in Scotland with my coach Danny Vaughan.

“A victory tomorrow night hopefully puts myself into a position to challenge for the British and Commonwealth titles next year.”

Mathews has spent much of his preparation for this fight in Liverpool, though did spend two weeks just outside Glasgow with Vaughan.

Still, he feels fit and ready for tomorrow night’s show, promoted by Dave Coldwell, and has linked up with an old amateur coach from Salisbury ABC to help prepare for Yuseinov.

“I’ve done a lot of work with Tony Challinor over the past two weeks on the pads,” he said.

“It has been eight years since he last took me on the pads and I thought it was going to be strange being back on them with him but we clicked right away.

“He is a top coach and a phenomenal pad man.

“Georgie Vaughan, who will be in my corner on the night, is delighted with the way everything has gone and he has got me super fit.”